Smile-breaks
It's been a long haul
Been sitting around, hanging out in the house, going for a cruise in the car now and then. It's been a long time from normal and I've learned a few things. Like, going for a cruise isn't so much fun when you can't stop for a tiramisu and glass of wine at your favorite Italian restaurant. Like, having time to read that book gets old when you've read a dozen and still don't have anything else to do. Like crossword puzzles are more frustrating than satisfying.
And so on. . . What are you learning? How are you hanging? Miss your friends? Trying new foods because the groceries your "personal shopper" delivered substituted hummus for Ranch dressing? I got chocolate covered peanuts for the chopped walnuts I planned to put in the banana bread I was going to bake with the new Bisquick recipe texted to me by Theresa. Thanks, Theresa.
But I won't be able to make that banana bread for a while—even if I put the chocolate covered peanuts in it instead of the walnuts—because my "personal shopper" substituted Simple Truth organic gluten free ALL-PURPOSE baking mix for the Bisquick. I don't even know what that is! Do you? I guess if you're more health-oriented than I am, you probably do, but nowhere on the box does it say, or even indicate, that it can be substituted for Bisquick.
My plants are getting probably more attention than they ever wanted—but what else is there to do? I feed them nutrients they're not used to getting. I caress them daily and wipe the silken webs from the spider mites off their almost glossy green leaves.
When my Paul calls that he's needing some help with his left sock, I leap from my chair. Yay! Something to do! And then it's back to my reading, TV, crossword puzzle, checking my plants, or whatever I was doing when he called. If I'm really bored, I snitch a piece of chocolate on my way back to my chair.
I hope you're doing better than I am with all this staying at home. Oh! I also found out a few other things. I don't mind wearing a mask, as long as I can tuck in those pesky hairs that stick out over my ears. I don't mind social distancing except when I want to reach over and hug you and I can't. I do mind not being able to go out shopping to find you that perfect birthday gift in time to drop it off at your door on that special day. I don't especially like using a paper towel to pick up the mail and the Amazon boxes and the grocery bags left at my front door.
I do count my blessings that I have Christy and Paul living with me so that I'm not alone. That would really be hard. I do count my blessings that I can call and text and e-mail friends and family and send emojis of happy faces and big hearts to show them I love them and miss them and hope they're doing okay. I count my blessings that there are so many people out there, ready to deliver groceries and way more importantly, to take care of all those suffering from this danged virus that I hope will get totally conquered by those smart, hard-working scientists working on treatments, cures and vaccines.
My best wishes to all of you—I hope you can feel my virtual hugs going out through the atmosphere to wherever you happen to be at this moment.
See you soon—I hope!
